June 06, 2013

H7N9 in the Caribbean? Not likely

There is a suspected case of bird flu in Trinidad and Tobago and questions are beginning to surface as to why the 153 people who made up the delegation of Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit last week were not tested for bird flu at the port of entry into this country.

China is currently battling a bird flu pandemic.

Thirty-five people have died so far and scientists are now concerned about a new strain of the avian flu virus that has left four people dead and hundreds infected.

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan on Tuesday revealed that there was one suspected case of bird flu in the country but doctors were unable to determine whether it was in fact the avian flu.

He said the patient recovered but the Ministry of Health is not letting down its guard.

“There is no outbreak of bird flu in the country right now but we are susceptible because we are as close to Venezuela. They have had a lot of cases in Venezuela and we have put our surveillance on fast forward,” Khan said.

Khan was asked why members of the Chinese delegation were not screened at the Piarco International airport during their arrival last Friday.

He said Xi and his delegation all looked healthy and he did not see the need to conduct any tests.

Where to begin? The idea that senior members of the Chinese government might be carrying H7N9 is simply ludicrous, unless we assume that President Xi and his colleagues also moonlight as chicken merchants. China is not "battling a bird flu pandemic." The reported Chinese death and case numbers don't make sense. And whatever they have a lot of cases of in Venezuela, it's not H7N9 or H5N1.

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There is a suspected case of bird flu in Trinidad and Tobago and questions are beginning to surface as to why the 153 people who made up the delegation of Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit last week were not tested for bird flu at the port of entry into this country.

China is currently battling a bird flu pandemic.

Thirty-five people have died so far and scientists are now concerned about a new strain of the avian flu virus that has left four people dead and hundreds infected.

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan on Tuesday revealed that there was one suspected case of bird flu in the country but doctors were unable to determine whether it was in fact the avian flu.

He said the patient recovered but the Ministry of Health is not letting down its guard.

“There is no outbreak of bird flu in the country right now but we are susceptible because we are as close to Venezuela. They have had a lot of cases in Venezuela and we have put our surveillance on fast forward,” Khan said.

Khan was asked why members of the Chinese delegation were not screened at the Piarco International airport during their arrival last Friday.

He said Xi and his delegation all looked healthy and he did not see the need to conduct any tests.

Where to begin? The idea that senior members of the Chinese government might be carrying H7N9 is simply ludicrous, unless we assume that President Xi and his colleagues also moonlight as chicken merchants. China is not "battling a bird flu pandemic." The reported Chinese death and case numbers don't make sense. And whatever they have a lot of cases of in Venezuela, it's not H7N9 or H5N1.